A New Enemy
by jon3s115
Summary: 4 years after Rise of the Ancients, Kevin Michelson has again suffered from his past. The death he has seen and the pain he witnessed at a young age has come back. The only thing that puzzles him is why it has returned. What could possibly bring them back after they were eradicated completely? Rated T for blood, violence, and some language.
1. Memories

_And here it is, the first chapter of the first book to continue the adventures of Kevin Michelson and the Star Fox team. I truly hope you all enjoy it. I am glad to be back and writing once more!_

**Memories**

They keep coming for me- every night it happens! My eyes close and all I see is death and despair, nothing else; no peace, no tranquility, no sanctuary, nothing! I'm haunted by my past and it has been such a way for so long- 4 years, 4 years after the last war I was in. I don't know when it could stop or even if it will, all I know is that I suffer from it night to night.

These nightmares, or I should say night terrors as they wake me up regardless of its severity, are all of my past, when I was a ruthless fighter bent on keeping order and keeping those I love safe. Anyone who had the ability to be a protector would take such a responsibility, especially when those you love are in jeopardy. Seven years ago I was like this and even though I was young at 16 years old I thought that I could handle all that would happen afterwards- the consequences of being who I was; a protector.

I wasn't an ordinary protector, in fact I wasn't a normal one either. No one of my kind had heard of a simple mercenary group taking action and single handedly winning wars and out thinking an entire army. I wasn't normal, and to the team, I physically wasn't normal- a different race, species, existence, and even a different mind set.

Throughout the years of fighting I had with the team, I slowly lost the innocence of my childhood. The day I was asked to become the protector, I knew that I would have to do things I wouldn't be comfortable with, and it took a few months later for me to do. The first time I took the life of someone I lost all of my innocence. The one thing I was raised to fear and hate I had done, the one thing that I vowed never to do I had done, the one thing that I was told was evil… I had done.

When I started on the team, I never thought of what could become of me. After the first kill I had done, I was already on a streak. It was the first mission I had been apart of and I had done exceptionally well, for a pilot. As a killer? No choice was given to me. I was thrown out against those who wanted me dead, and so the mind of my childhood and hormone controlled emotions acted in self defense. Later as I understood the situation and the true nature of what was happening did I lose my innocence, when I truly decided that killing and fighting was the only way of doing what I was put up to do- as a protector.

But at such a young age, my mind was prone to immediate and vigorous changes. Especially when I suffered a major loss. When hundreds of my own kind died right in front of me, fighting for our cause and fighting to stay alive. Such an event tore through me and through my soul, so much that I was almost lost- lost in a world of death. I didn't lose all of my sanity, I only went through a shift of my morals. After that dreadful day, I decided to kill anything that opposes me or shows a great threat to those I swear to protect. I may sound like a ruthless killer, but I'm not.

So much longer afterwards did I truly change. By the time I was 18, I had lost any child within me and was a sensible man that knew right from wrong, good from bad, and evil from heroism. My comrades even thought so of me as well. My close friend, my leader, was proud of who I had become; I was no longer that 16 year old he found on Earth, I was now a true Hero. The one that helped me through my changing, the one that could literally tap into my mind and read my thoughts, became my closest friend and ally. My leader was close to me, and so was our technician and ace pilot- we were all like a big family of pilots fighting to be the protectors of what we love.

It may all sound like a luxurious lifestyle, but I found it to be hell. Hell is what my life is and has been- the wars I have fought and the mental torture I went through during those. Nothing was worse than when I was physically tortured, forced to fight against those I love, my own team and my own kind. Nothing compares to that absolute hell hole I endured, and nothing compares to the villain responsible for it, a villain so powerful and with abilities unimaginable. His name will always be engraved on my mind, always reminding me of that war that wasn't even supposed to be possible. Going through all of it was hell and it changed me so very much. I became something more than a man, I became one that could withstand anything, I became one that saw it all and everything worse than anything else.

They keep me up every night. Every damn night I'm haunted by those I have failed and by those who sacrificed themselves to keep me alive. But in the end of it all, I'll look back and say "Yeah, countless died, but it was all for a good cause. And those who sacrificed themselves are in a better place now.".

_**To Be Continued?**_

What do you guys think? What do you think this is? Do you want to see more? I hope you do because the plot I have for this is a thriller and the general idea is something.

**PLEASE go to my profile as I have written something that will explain something rather important! **


	2. Help

_And so begins the adventure of someone who has suffered in the past. I shouldn't keep you waiting so let's get to work. _

**Help**

The darkness was all around me. The pain of everything that was my past and the pain of what I had done. I couldn't escape it and I only felt weaker as I stood in its presence. I was frightened and I couldn't do anything about it. What was I supposed to do when you are in complete darkness with the voices of those you've lost in your head and the memories of your most gruesome past haunting you. Voices all around me, telling me I was guilty for all that had happened, telling me that every death was my fault, telling me that every single fucking action I took was one for the worst. I screamed loudly as the voices continued to pound through my head. I couldn't run anywhere, there was pitch black darkness all around me and no where to hide from this.

I awoke with cold sweat all over me. I was panting deeply as I realized that the darkness was just another night terror. They were getting so out of hand that I felt as though the memories were fresh on my mind, like when I lost the entire squad of 100 fighters in a matter of seconds. That day haunts me even today with no relation to the night terrors. The sight and experience was so much and I had never seen so much death- innocent death- happen at once.

I looked over and noticed Rose was not in the bed.

"Kevin?" I heard a voice come from the other side of my door.

The door slowly opened and revealed a blue vixen wearing a silver nightgown. She had the face of terror and appeared to be extremely worried.

"Kevin is everything alright?" She asked me as she walked in and sat on the edge of my bed.

I sat up more and dug my face into my hands embarrassingly. I didn't mean to wake her with my emotions and dreams, then again I never intend it and everytime I suffer from a terror she is the one that answers to my mind's call for help. She shouldn't have to put up with this again, she already helped me with this when they were haunting me before.

I felt a tear roll down my face, "4 years… 4… fucking... years pass and they come back…" I said chokingly.

She lowered her head, "It's okay Kevin… you can get through this..."

"Krystal" I said as I raised my head from my hands, "Do… do you ever think… maybe I shouldn't have come along? Maybe only being here is making things worse for me?"

The blue vixen shook her head, "Never have I thought that. Since the first day I saw you I knew you would be destined for good and that you would be a great friend."

I looked over at her, tears still rolling down my cheek, "Good? I did _good _but no _good _came out of it. After Wolf, I had these terrors about my mother being killed and the safety of my home." I said, "After Prometheus, I had these terrors about my life." I shook my head, "And now... " I dug my head back into my hands with pure agony, "now I can't hide from them…"

Krystal put her hand on my shoulder, "Listen to me," she said softly, "We've dealt with this before, we'll do it again." She said reassuringly, "I've helped you with this once, and if I have to keep doing so to end your suffering then so be it."

I slowly looked back up at the vixen and spoke no words.

"I promise" she finished.

The words of reassurance were pleasing to my ears. Krystal was a powerful woman and knew what she was doing, so when she promised something to me that would help with a problem like this I knew I could trust her fully.

A small smile cracked on my face, "Thanks…"

She then leaned in and hugged me, "Don't worry, we'll figure this out."

I let go of her and threw off the covers from my bed. I looked over at my clock and saw that it was actually 6:30 a.m, about the time I woke up normally.

"I might as well get ready then," I said to Krystal as she stood back up. I reached for a new gadget that Slippy has created, a new communicator. It was a small device that attached to the forearm, right where your elbow starts. It would project the communicator and provide full functionality, rather than having the bulky device around your entire forearm. I attached the small device and raised my arm so that the projection would appear, "Did you hear about Pepper? Or at least did Fox tell you?"

Krystal shook her head, "No he didn't tell me but I did know of what is happening."

I smiled, "Yeah, some new jobs coming in, or at least that's what I was told."

Krystal nodded, "It is about time we received some work. It's been too long."

It had been a painful five months since Star Fox was given a job. All of us were running out of the things to do. I originally thought that being off duty would be nice and relaxing, it was for the first month but after that things started to get rather boring and little dull. Falco and I even adopted a new hobby to pass time; gaming. The two of us had gotten involved in video games and even went to a tournament for one of our favorite games; Call for Action: Defense Force. Surprisingly we did well but didn't win the contest itself. One could say my life seems good, but with these things in my head, it was a living hell.

(A/N: I'm so sorry…)

The words of Krystal echoed in my head. I nodded repeatedly, "Yeah…" I looked off to the corner as Krystal exited my room, "... way too long."

The words continued to echo in my head. It's been so long since we had our last assignment from General Pepper, and that job wasn't even a very satisfying one. But it wasn't that that made those words send a shiver down my spine, it the fact that I hadn't had memories of my past in so long, especially memories of suffering and death. It puzzled my mind and pained me to even ponder why they have returned and why they are have become so intense.

I had joined Star Fox when I was 16. Fox crash landed in my backyard and I was able to save his life and nurse him back to health. His injuries weren't intense and he was able to get back to the team by the time they had arrived, which at that moment I was offered to go along. I thought it would be beyond amazing to be with the Star Fox team and go places no one else had gone. I knew what I was getting into, but I didn't know what would come out of it. Now I am haunted by images of the past and the sacrifices I made.

Rose, my wife of 5 years, did not live with the rest of the team. She felt that living on her own was best since she would continue work with Beltino and Space Dynamics, serving her spot on Star Fox from the comfort of her lab. She wasn't a fighter by any means and preferred to stay away from the conflict. She has been one the more emotional helpers since the memories returned. Her love and her caring attitude has helped me cope with some of the issues that come up from the hauntings; either a shift in my moods or lack of energy.

These memories were absolute shit...

...I just wished they ended…


	3. Anomaly?

_Welcome back to another chapter! Really quick, around June or July of 2015, I will be starting something that will basically take all my time. June (july at latest), will start Bootcamp! Then right after that is 6 months of "A" School for CT in the Navy. Yup I am going on a path for my career and I can't wait to be part of it and chaining off into something I love. _

_Also, the team is big, don't forget that. I have named every character and have created the plot around them so this means that this one may be rather long. _

_That was a quick update…. so let's continue with the story (I have the plot down and I hope you all enjoy it)_

**Anomoly? **

Life at the estate was somewhat soothing for me, and to be honest it helped with whenever I would encounter a memory coming back to me. Star Fox was no longer the small squad that it had used to be, it was now a 25 pilot unit. I remember when they started the mass expansion of the property so that we could hous those who wanted to stay here with the rest of the team. It was incredibly generous of the construction company to do it for free of charge and it took them no time to finish it off. The house now housed all 25 of us and we lived like one big family, in a weird kind of way. Since we were a large team, we were split into different squads, like before, each having it's own strength and role. We went from Alpha to Foxtrot and had three tech experts alongside Slippy.

Fox and I had just finished our meeting with the General about our new assignments. They were rather small but he promised to pay a large sum for the completion of them. Being the Mercenaries-for-hire that we are, we took them regardless of the sum of money promised for the success.

When we arrived back at the estate, we called a meeting in the underground room. All 25 of us were gathered and we listened to Fox outline the plan. Delta and Foxtrot Fox were dismissed as they were ground squads and had no role in the missions, and the rest of us were assigned a job. Beta Fox, Falco, and Slippy were to escort a small group of vessels to the Sector Y nebula so that goods could be safely transported to the fleet in place. Fox, Krystal, I, and Charlie Squad were to assist a CDF squad with the scouting of Meteo; according to Pepper, strange readings had been coming from there, both energy and physical activity.

This part of the job puzzled me as I knew of no other gangs in existence that would be using Meteo as a form of hideout. I had killed Wolf long ago and Star Wolf had been eradicated long ago, so it could be possible that the remnants of his gang could be up to something. I could see exactly why this would be the case. Wolf's men finally trying to get some revenge after some time of planning makes perfect sense in my mind.

"Krystal, Kevin, Charlie, mind if I speak with you all for a second?" Fox said as we tried to exit the room.

The six of us gathered around Fox and listened to what it was he had to say.

He simply shrugged at us, "I have my theories and my doubts, but nothing is set in stone until we see exactly what it is that's happening."

"What do you mean?" Krystal asked.

"I mean that this Meteo thing sounds like a trap. Think about it, Wolf and his crew were killed a while back, but his gang is possibly still in existence. Who is to say this activity isn't from them?"

I smiled slightly, "My thoughts exactly."

One of the members from Charlie Squad, a hard headed show-off avian by the name of Jordan Fisher, gave a slight chuckle, "Do you really think we'd fall for something like this?" Jordan was basically a clone of Falco, only more focused on showing his skills off and giving smart-ass remarks.

Jess Pierce, a grey vulpine with incredible intelligence, shot Jordan a foul look, "We're going in because of a job. It's an indirect springing of the trap. So in other words, yes, we are falling for it." It was obvious that the two didn't get along so well- Jess being a more serious person than Jordan was.

I spoke up as a new thought came to my mind, "You know… to be honest, I'd much rather run into Wolf's gang. I don't think we can handle another damn war."

Fox nodded slowly, "I can see why you feel this, but I agree. Too much has been happening, so let's hope for the best."

I didn't want another war to fight, the trauma I had from the past wars was enough. Even though I was older, an adult mentally, I could be affected just as much as when I was 16 and seeing death for the first time, killing for the first time, and experiencing loss for the first time.

Penny Pierce, a leporine and the stepsister of Jess, "And if it isn't Wolf's gang?"

Fox shrugged and sighed, "Then we hope the trap doesn't work." 

A sudden flashback from my past shot through my brain. Out of no where my head ached in pain as I saw two memories of my past. . Two memories that have haunted me suddenly reared their ugly heads.

"_LONG… LIVE…. YUTHAN!" A trap that was so easily sprung… "Kevin!" _I could see Fox running towards me_... "GET BACK! THAT ISN'T KEVIN!"_

"_KRYSTAL!" The near death of a close friend, at the hands of one of her own kind, a trap set by him "I'M GONNA KILL YOU, AUSTIN!" _I can Krystal lying on the floor near death and Austin to the side of me on the ground lifeless.

My head boomed in pain and Krystal and Cobe Cage quickly caught me. Cobe was another avian that was quiet and didn't speak much, though had incredible flying skills.

The two helped me sit back down at the table while the others watched in somewhat horror and absolute confusion.

"Oh no" Krystal said as she had the expression of pain on her face.

"Holy... what the hell just happened?" I asked as I held my head in absolute pain.

Krystal placed her hand on my head and closed her eyes, "Unbelievable" she said and paused for a moment. She then shook her head saying "How can they be so strong?"

Fox looked at her, "What is it?"

"His mind" she said, "I… I have no words for what's happening."

I slouched over and dug my head into my hands, suddenly slamming my fist on the arm of the chair I was in. I was frustrated, confused, and mad; after all I had done, the therapy Krystal and I went through, the coping I did, the power of Prometheus... they still haunt me as if they happened yesterday or mere minutes ago.

I sensed the worry in both Fox and Krystal. My power I had taken from Prometheus was becoming my strong suit, but the memories were immune to it; I couldn't erase them, I couldn't hide them, I couldn't even think they weren't there.I felt the anger rise in me, and then suddenly decided to take a deep breath. Inhaling and exhaling slowly, I released the anger built in me and relaxed.

As I inhaled and exhaled, I remember the words of my mother who taught me about this skill. She told me that whenever something has not gone my way and that there is no way of doing so, just take deep breaths and let it out nice and slowly. At this thought I felt a tear roll down my eye. It wasn't the thought of the how the technique can work, but the thought of my mother being gone. It was impossible for me to look at it any other way- the one I loved my entire life, the one that cared for me, the one I abandoned… was gone.

I took a deep breath, shakingly, and sighed "I can handle this" I said, knowing full well I couldn't.

Krystal shook her head, "No, you need to sit this one out Kevin. What if something were to happen out there and you suffered another flashback like this?"

I simply shook my head and looked at Fox, "Better not keep the CDF squad waiting." I then walked around the large table and up the stairs to the surface level of the house.

I sensed the pain in Krystal, knowing that all she has done has proven to be completely worthless. She was worried, I was worried, and the others had no clue about it.

I thought to myself, "I just need to fight…" I sighed softly, "I can do this."

I was determined to go on this mission and live the life I had taken up. I'm not going to simply leave because of the thoughts and struggles of my past, I'd brand myself as a coward if I hid and simply abandoned everything.

The team and I were all walking to the east end of the house, part of the extension. On the wall was a large blast proof door. We all waited until the door slid open, revealing a very large elevator. The 7 of us stepped inside and felt as the elevator started to move downwards. The special extension the estate received was intended to help us get into the air for missions and other various assignments.

As the door slid open, an extremely large hangar type room was revealed. The elevator was on the back wall of earth. Around the middle of the room were rows of walkways held up by the side walls of earth. Along each row were Arwings for the team. I looked up and saw that the row of Arwing's that had mine, Fox, Krystal, Falco, and Slippy's Arwing were being moved. Falco and Slippy were being carried by a large mechanism and were placed on another launching system just at the entrance of the large hangar door.

I took the small elevator with Fox and Krystal up to the row with our Arwing's. I jogged over to my Arwing and raised my arm up slightly, opening my holo communicator. Entering a quick command I had my white pilot suit teleported onto me, a new method adapted from the armor teleportation. I then quickly jumped up into my Arwing and awaited the launch mechanism.

Just as I finished strapping in I looked up and saw both Falco and Slippy instantly speed up and carried through the insanely large tunnel. This new mechanism would speed us through this tunnel and launch us into the sky at the other end, kind of like a slingshot.

"Communications line, green." Fox said over the comms, "All ships start your systems."

"Initiate launch sequence" a robotic voice said from the speakers in the hangar.

The second row of Arwing's just above ours, Charlie Fox, was lowered into the device and shot off through the tunnel. Finally, Krystal, Fox, and I were lowered into it. I cracked my neck and started the engines and G-Diffuser. Just ahead I could see the small orbs of light from Charlie Squads Arwings engines, still speeding through the tunnel.

All of the sudden, our four were launched forward. I loved the feeling of speed from this and watching as the lights from the tunnel sped past at blinding speeds- It was mesmerizing to say the least.

About 10 seconds passed and the end of the tunnel was approaching quickly. I grabbed hold of the controls and readied myself to pilot. Instantly, I felt the Arwing lift off of the slingshot system and looked as it was now flying through the air. Literally no time passed and we were already above the cloud cover just from the launch itself. Just like we were in space, we spun extremely fast until the wing's extended out. It never grew old on me; regardless of how many times I launched like that, I always loved the feeling as it reminded me that I was with friends and doing something good… at a price.

"Alright team" Fox said over the comms, "Let's go and see what's wrong with meteo."

Fox, Krystal, I, and Charlie Fox all headed in the direction of Meteo, ready to face the dangers that supposedly awaited us.

"Sir" Penny said over the comms, "Should we try to contact the squad telling them that we are en route?"

The feed, which was recently upgraded to provide one of every member simultaneously, enlarged that from Penny to Fox, whom nodded in agreement, "Good idea" he paused and set up the comm line, "Cornerian Defense Force Squad Bulldog 1, this is Fox McCloud of Star Fox. Do you read me?"

The HUD then moved the other feed's away, giving a larger one with static. We were all met with the silence and the white noise from the broken comm line. None of us knew what was happening, and quite frankly it gave me an incredibly horrible feeling about what was to come.

"Cornerian Defense Force Squad… Bulldog 1, do you copy?"

I started to grow a worried. First off I was confused as to why they weren't responding to a simple communication line, and second I was confused as to why we received static. Slippy had taught me a few strings about communications, and I knew that static usually meant that the other end of the line was heavily tampered with or even simply eradicated.

"Technical issues?" Jess asked.

Jordan shrugged, "I mean, it can happen… right?"

Krystal suddenly gasped deeply. It was out of nowhere and incredibly loud, as if she was just frightened by one of her worst fears.

I jumped at the sudden noise and damn near fired a few lasers into open space. I wasn't ready for something like that and it honestly caught me extremely off guard. Not only that, but my emotions and the feeling about this mission contributed to my jumpiness.

"Fuck… what hap-..." I said as I cut myself off. Instantly I could feel the emotion radiating off of Krystal. Whatever it was that she had sensed, I was not far behind from sensing as well. I was sent into a trance from the distress and pain that slapped me in the face.

"Uhhh, what just happened?" Penny asked with confusion and fear on her face.

I shook myself out of the trance, "Prime you weapons NOW!"

Right after I said this I changed the weapon systems to use the Ultra Lasers. Thankfully the Arwing had enough power to do so.

"Bul-" Fox tried to contact the squad once more, however I cut him off abruptly as I knew it was no use.

"Enough Fox, there's a reason why they aren't answering." I snapped as I sensed something still within the asteroid field, "Oh fuck… something is out there."

We were rapidly approaching the large asteroid field. The light from both Lylat Prime and Solar gave us the best visibility, giving us the upper hand at finding whatever it was that was out there.

I sensed something out of place. Just as I had got within range to see what was wrong, I felt the pain and the death within the field. Faint brain patterns from the squad holding up, all of which killed in cold blood. Destroyed by an unknown enemy hiding in the fields.

"Krystal…" I said as my heart sank slightly, "... do… do you feel this?"

She nodded slowly, "My god…"

Fox spoke softly, "Keep your guard up."

The 7 of us then entered the asteroid field, ready to fight. Neither Krystal nor I knew what was in store for us within this dangerous area. Already we lost ten allies before even discovering what it was that had killed them.

As I flew threw and passed several meteorites and asteroids, I could sense something was near. For some odd reason, I couldn't tell where it was exactly, what it was, or even if it was something at all.

"Krystal" I said, "Can you find anything?"

She shook her head, "No, but I can feel the presence of someone here."

I was somewhat relieved when she said that she was sensing the presence of another being. Deep down I had initially thought we would be fighting some sort of creature or an essence of something. But now I felt like the Wolf's gang theory was true.

"What… the fuck…" I said softly as I continued to fly over asteroids, still unable to find what it was I was sensing.

All of the sudden, I felt a spike in the activity I had tracked, almost as if the being is suddenly moving and with adrenaline in it's system. The brain activity and waves left behind by whatever it was that had done so simply jolted, causing me to flinch slightly.

"Argh…" I said as I grabbed my head from the slight sting, "Krystal?" I said, "Please tell me that was you just getting startled by something." My fingers were on both triggers and my eyes were shooting around carefully looking at every asteroid near me.

She shook her head once more, "No… it wasn't…"

"CONTACT!" Penny suddenly yelled, "Oh shit!"

My eyes shot down to the the control panel on my left. I typed in a quick command, activating the smart canopy. The ship scanned and it outlined all the Arwing's in sight. One of which seemed to floating aimlessly. Even with this device, it wasn't hard to find where it was Penny was located. Her sudden brain activity was like a straight line to her. I cracked my neck, had my fingers ready, and pushed the throttle forward all the way, zooming to the direction of Penny.

As I came over an asteroid, I found her and her Arwing, disabled and floating through space, just as the smart canopy outlined it to be.

"Oh shit!" I yelled as I zoomed down to it and stopped, peaking inside of the cockpit.

"Where is Penny!" Jess suddenly yelled, "Kevin! Where is she!?" The sound and emotion coming from his voice was enough to know that he was deathly afraid and expecting the worst.

I looked up and saw her in the cockpit, safe but unconscious.

She's unconscious but alive." I said, suddenly slamming my fist down, "What the fuck is happening?" I yelled, "Get Peppy to teleport her out of there." I said as I started to look around frantically.

All of the sudden, the brain activity from the being spiked once more. My comms went dead, and my smart canopy was shut off. Fear struck my body and the thought of action came to my mind; whatever was out there had targeted me, but I was ready for it.

"Come on out, you piece of shit." I said to myself as I tried to look around. I started to fly forward, circling around Penny's Arwing and looking all around me cautiously.

I looked off to one of the asteroids in front of me and noticed something odd in the pitch black shadow it had. Something a bit lighter, moving softly.

"There you are…"

I readied my finger and was just about to fire. Out of nowhere, a bright flash of blue light emitted from the exact spot I was looking at. My Arwing shook violently as electricity surged from the front HUD all the way to the back of the Arwing.

"No! No no no no!" I yelled repeatedly as I tried to restart the ship. To no avail, I continued to look forward as my Arwing was now slowly spinning.

My breathing intensified as I saw an oddly shaped ship arise from the shadow of the asteroid. I saw it fly slowly and towards Penny's Arwing.

"...oh no…" I said quietly and watching in horror. Suddenly another blue flash came from the ship, but it looked like it came from Penny's Arwing. A sigh of relief came through my mouth as she was now safe. However, the ship examining the Arwing slowly reversed away from it, turning towards me and flying closer to me.

My breathing was even more intense and my heart was pounding against my chest. I wasn't scared in any way, but the adrenaline and the thought of what is to come was too much for me.

"Go ahead and kill me, you fucker!" I yelled.

Suddenly, my vision went black. I felt nothing and all that I could see around me was darkness and emptiness. It was a sight too familiar to me, and it struck immense fear into my mind and intense flashbacks that I had long forgotten.

Whoever it was... it took me...

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

Oh DAMN! It took me forever to write this one. Why, do you ask? Well, writers block! It's a total pain in the arse but I did come through it and created this! I really hope you guys like where I am going with this and I am glad to say that this one will be very suspenseful and different from my other books.

As always, my readers…

*manly voice* TOODLES!


	4. Mental Torture

_Hey guys, I want to welcome you back to the story! I'm really glad I can continue this as my time has seemed to open up. I will soon be attending classes at my University, however as a Freshman, things shouldn't go too horribly since the classes I have are all what I want to do and not what I have to. _

_So without further adieu…_

_On with the story…_

**Mental Torture**

My vision was blurry and my head was throbbing in pain. All I could see was two figures going at it, swinging left and right, left and right. Red splatters would come from each of them, blood spewing from the wounds created by the repeated strikes of the two. I shook my head as I watched the horror unfold right in front of me. This was a memory turned into a vision, a memory I can never forget… a memory that is engraved into my mind for all eternity.

"KRYSTAL!"

My vision cleared up slightly and I was able to see the blue vixen putting up a strong, but futile fight against a silver vulpine. She was agile, but her fighting wasn't anywhere near a match for the vulpine in front of her.

My body was aching all over. I tried to get up, desperately trying to aid in any way, but the pain just shot through my body and forced me back down to the cold, hard ground. Anger and disgust raged within me as I watched the scene unfold.

"no…" I said softly and with force as I watched the vulpine land a direct hit on Krystal, causing her to lose balance.

"no!"

The vulpine landed another hit. Krystal spun around as her eyes looked off in a daze. The vulpine grabbed her once more, spun her around to face him, and let out one final blow to her head.

"NO!" I screamed as I watched the blue vixen fall to the ground, lifeless.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I watched my friend die right then and there, and I couldn't do a thing to help her. The anger within me raged even stronger, forcing me to slam my fist into the ground with so much force to break the concrete.

The vulpine simply smiled and looked over at me. I shook my head slowly as I tried to get back up, but the pain was too much for and I kept being pulled back down to the ground. It was as if gravity wanted me to stay down and watch the scene unfold. I looked up slowly and saw the vulpine now mere inches away from my face.

"WAKE UP!" he suddenly yelled.

_25 Minutes after capture…_

My body jolted out of it's slumber. I was in a kneeling position and fell onto my back from the sudden jolt in energy.

"AH!" I screamed as I shot backwards and landed on the floor. The floor was cold and metallic, which was odd for me as it was touching my skin… as if I wasn't wearing clothing.

"Get the fuck up you worthless piece of slime!" I heard someone bark at me.

My eyes were fixated on the ceiling, as if I was involuntarily ignoring the voices orders. I don't know why, but the ceiling had my full attention, nothing around me fazed me nor bothered me at all. My mind was in peace, for some reason, and I felt the emptiness take over my head.

"Are you fucking deaf?! Get up!" The voice yelled once more.

My brain shot back into reality and my attention fixated on the voice yelling. I slowly started to sit up, turning over and getting up onto my knees and then to my feet. But as I did so, I realized something that caught me completely off guard. I was, in fact, wearing zero clothing.

"What in the hell?" I said in disgust as I examined my naked body, fixing my gaze up at the source of the rude voice, "Who in the hell are you?" I said as if I had no emotion on the manner at hand, "And where the hell am I?"

The man standing on the other side looked like a vulpine. He had dark brown fur and had a nasty scar running from down his left eye. He simply smiled at me, "Don't you have the mouth on you. Get up, the boss wants you awake."

I was a bit confused, not knowing exactly what was indeed happening. I had completely forgotten about the dream I had just experienced as I was completely immersed in the situation at hand. I wasn't afraid, I wasn't frightened, I was just confused.

"May I ask why I am naked?" I asked before the man walked off.

The man stopped, looked back, and shrugged, "I don't know… the boss wanted you like that…" With that, he continued walking down the row of cells.

I shook my head slightly, "That's fucking disgusting man… you tell your boss that." I said in a let down tone, rather than an angry one. To me, that was pretty pathetic to have me naked in a cell, what the hell would I do anyway? Even without my armor I could possibly do some form of damage.

I was in what looked like a holding area, several stories tall. My cell had bars as if it was purposely meant to be ancient looking. The ones around me, however, all had glass that was fogged, hiding whatever it was that was inside. Beside my cell were two guards, both with rifle's in hand and standing tall and straight.

My mind felt clarity overcome it, my memory was begginning to return as details returned to me little by little. "...wait" I suddenly said to myself, quietly. A blue flash, a mysterious ship, Penny unconscious in her Arwing. It had come back to me, I was taken hostage, yet again.

"HEY!" I suddenly yelled as my emotions spiked with anger and fury. I looked up at the two guards, anger on my face and my emotions running wild.

One of the guards looked back at me, "What the fuck do you want?"

All of the sudden, I felt the most ungodly pain shoot through my body. My head felt like it was going to explode. My body trembled as I screamed in agony from whatever it was that had invaded my body. It sounded like I was being murdered as I tried to look up at the two guards, failing to even keep my eyes open. I was able to dull it slightly, but it was no use even for my telepathy, I had no success in the matter. I couldn't block the pain and I couldn't tell if it was me or something else. The pain was just too much for me to even comprehend.

"FUCK... PLEASE S-STOP!" I managed to yell out.

Another voice then came from the other side of the bars, "Submission, I like to hear it from someone as spiteful as you!" the voice paused but the pain droned on, "Alright, I think that's enough for you."

It suddenly stopped, all of it gone like a flash of light. I panted deeply as sweat poured off of my body. The pain was so excruciating that I thought I would have died right then and there, it was more than anything I had ever experienced. I tried to get up but was only able to support myself on my hands and knees. Slowly, my head lifted up, trying to get a glimpse at the culprit of my pain. Instantly did I regret doing so.

Kneeling down behind the bars was someone I had thought was long dead. It was someone I was sure I had killed, murdering him for what it was he did and for who he was. The crimes he committed, the suffering he put my friend through, the pain of him engraving a memory so vile into my brain.

The same white fur, the same scar, the same voice, the same accent… everything. Austin stood before me, alive and well.

"YOUUUU!" I hissed deeply at the sight. I suddenly felt my body jolt forward as I tackled the bars, reaching out and trying to grab Austin, "YOU SHOULD BE DEAD!" I yelled.

Austin simple jumped back and stood up, "Oh you… you adorable little creature." he said with a smirk.

The excruciating pain returned, this time it was much more severe. I screamed in bloody murder as I felt the pain pulse through my body once more. My mind felt like it was being torn apart, and my body felt like it was being twisted and crushed under an unknown force.

"NO!" I screamed, "PLEASE!"

The pain suddenly stopped and my body stopped it's uncontrolled fidget. I was now still, laying in the middle of the cell and looking at the ceiling, tears dropping from my eye from the pain. How could this happen to me? What is it that I have done to deserve any of this?

"That's our first lesson" Austin said softly, "I have so much in store for you my pet."

I simply laid there panting from the lack of oxygen and shook my head over and over again. I didn't believe this was happening, I couldn't because it was all too familiar.

"Disobey me, and you won't be the only one that suffers." Austin suddenly said.

Austin then stepped aside and walked over to the cell across from mine. On the control panel, he typed in a code, causing the fog on the door to dissipate instantly, revealing who it was that was inside.

I got up and supported myself on my hands and knees once more, looking up and over at the cell. Inside was Penny, on the floor and unconscious in the same condition as I was. Her naked body looked as though it was in peace, but I knew that it wasn't. I sensed her agony and I felt it reverb back to me. She was in pain, but it wasn't life threatening.

I spoke softly as I was still in agony from the pain's aftermath, "What… what do you want from me…"

Austin spoke softly once more, "It's really quite simple actually..." he said, "as you can see, and possibly guess, I want revenge for what it is you have done."

I shook my head once more, "How… in the fuck... are you… alive?"

Austin chuckled slightly, "Someone doesn't like to listen." he said, "But if you really must know, Lord O'Donnell had some great technology. You'd be surprised about the wounds that can be healed and the medical attention one can receive."

I stopped shaking my head. My eyes grew wide at what Austin just said, "You mean…"

"Oh, no no," he said shaking his head rapidly, "the others are long dead. Had they been alive I wouldn't have captured you, instead I would have killed you on the spot. But, you have some uses that I can take advantage of."

"B-but…" I stuttered with disbelief. "This doesn't make any sense to me… you… you can't be alive!"

Austin chuckled once more, "You can keep telling yourself that, just know that you are mine now." he said clenching his fists and laughing, "Now… now I am going to hunt down your entire team, and I'm going to kill each and every one of you."

I looked back up at Austin, "And you think you're going to win? You couldn't even beat a human without mental abilities!" I said trying to intimidate him.

The laugh that came from Austin instantly filled me with fear as I felt ignorance overcome my mind. Austin sounded as though he was genuinely entertained by my expression of thought, and potential stupidity.

"Do you really think I am going to be the one to do it? You really are a stupid creature!" he continued laughing, "No… I am not the one that will be hunting them down, nor will I be the one doing the fighting."

I was starting to feel fear overcome my senses, "An… an army?" For some reason, I was hoping he would say yes to this.

Austin smiled a devilish smile, "Oh don't be unrealistic, I have no Army" he said, "No, I will not be hunting them down… you are…" My heart sank as I heard this.

I lowered my head, "And you expect me to do such a thing?"

Austin smiled as the pain returned to torture my body, "I do indeed" he said with a devil smile on his face, "Try to warn them and I'll kill you from here, try to _evade _them and I'll kill you from here, try to hide your mind and I'll torture you until you remember your mission."

I looked up slowly to Austin, "You are even more power hungry than Wolf was, you insane son of a bitch."

Austin simply chuckled, "Why thank you" he paused, "Now then, it's time for you to go!" He clapped his hands together twice, causing my suit of armor to teleport onto my body.

I jolted in fear as it suddenly happened, it had caught me off guard.

I looked at Austin as he opened my cell door, signaling for me to get out, "Come on, it's time for you to hunt down your friends!" he said joyfully.

I looked down at my hands and clenched them, making fists. I could fight him right now, I could easily kill him right now! Looking back up, I could sense that Austin was expecting some action from me, but was holding back any mental torture he could give me. My telepathy was strong, but it wasn't enough to fight against Austin. Dreadfully, I accepted my fate and slowly walked out of the cell.

Austin smiled as the guards had their rifles trained on me.

"Alright then" Austin said, "I will be monitoring you from this ship" he winked, "I can hear you, see you, and torture you. Obey me and this will be over quickly."

I nodded slowly as I simply looked ahead of me and off into nothing.

"You're Arwing is towards the back in the craft hangar." he said as he turned around and headed for the bridge.

I looked back and saw the two guards still with their rifles pointing at me.

"Let's go, human!" One guard shouted.

My mind was full of hate and disbelief. Before I started to walk, I gave Penny a small mental message, telling her that I would get us out of here. I knew that it was going to be damn near impossible to do so, but I had to try nonetheless. Austin was strong, but I knew Krystal would be able to instantly sense the danger, helping me in some way without alerting Austin. Afterall, I just gave Penny a small message without Austin even knowing, and that was using a small technique Krystal taught me. I had an advantage, but it was nowhere near one that could help me win against him.

If I was to win and truly kill Austin, I would have to do as he says, learning from his control over me and finding a way to counter his telepathy.

It doesn't matter what he will have me do… I _will _kill him...

_**To Be Continued **_

Holy damn, such drama and a surprise return from a vile creature.

I know I said this one would be a unique, but I do have some awesome stuff planned for this book. As you can see from the ending of this chapter, this will be Kevin and his fight mentally, rather than physically.

And if you're wondering about the title of the book, you will see soon enough why it is a new enemy.

I really hope you all enjoy this book.

Happy New Year, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, etc etc.

Until next time my awesome readers…


	5. Sense of Hope

_Welcome back after so time has passed. Yes, a lot of time… _

_Anyway, I fear that this book is becoming rather complicated. I keep facing writers blocks because I can't advance plot in a way that is satisfying or makes sense. I'm not sure, but we'll keep going and see what happens. _

_On with the story… _

**Sense of Hope**

The whole thing was messing with me. My mind was in so many different places and thinking on so many different things at the same time, it was unbearable and was my downfall. I would have never agreed to Austin and his plan to capture the team; what was I even thinking? Was my head really that messed up and my emotions that out of control that I blatantly agreed to the evil that I am now stuck in? Regardless, I was on my way to start off Austins first plan of capturing.

He had instructed me to head back to the team, telling them that I was able to escape, but Penny being killed in action. With his power, I had no choice but to do so, or I suffer endless pain, which I didn't want to experience now. He had his plans, and I had my own plan to myself, hidden away from Austin. If I could chip away at what Austin has, then I can finally kill him and make sure that he stays down forever, but of course it was to be done in secret, away from Austin's attention.

I neared Corneria rapidly, preparing myself to break the news to the team. How I was going to be able to tell them exactly what was happening was beyond me, but I would find a way to do so.

In the back of my head, I could feel Austin's presence. He didn't know it, but I knew when he was in my head and listening, ready to bring me pain at the slightest hint of disobedience. I wasn't entirely hopeless, some of it still shined, and I was ready to take advantage of any chances I come across.

As I broke the atmosphere, I entered the command to op the rear bay doors, a mile away from the estate. The large doors slid open, and my Arwing was sent into auto pilot to fly itself through the narrow corridor and into it's landing space beneath the estate.

I held my head as the Arwing did its job of flying, thinking about the plan and how to execute it correctly. The team isn't entirely easy to fool, especially Krystal, she'd know right away that something was going wrong if I were to suggest going to Aquas for no apparent reason. However, something did come to my mind, it would cause Austin to get cautious, but it was probably the only way I can get the team to Aquas without them suspecting much. If I forced them there, then they would suspect something was off, and If I tricked them into going there, then I could go forward with my own plans. It was dirty, but it was the only way I could anything against this Cerinian monster.

The Arwing slowed to complete stop as a mechanical arm came down, grabbing the sides and placing it back into it's original spot on the enormous rack of ships. As it locked, the cockpit hissed open, I, however, simply sat back with my eyes closed.

"...dear god" I said to myself, "what am I doing?"

I jumped out of the cockpit and onto the right wing, jumping down to the floor and over to the elevator. The small elevator took me down to the surface, I walked over to the other elevator and took it all the way up to the estate itself.

On the way up, I thought about the whole plan once more. What if the team isn't able to take any hints that I try to give. I am trying to make them as clueless as possible, to please Austin and keep him from harming Penny and I, but I want them to have some clues alluding to the danger.

I slammed my fist in the wall and cursed to myself, "I'm going to get you for this Austin" I said to myself, only to be met with a slight shock of pain radiating from my head. It was enough that I was able to stop it, making a point to Austin that I was listening, but not liking it.

The doors slowly slid open, revealing the small hallway that connected the two pieces of the estate. To the left was where the original team lived, and the right were the new members living areas and rooms. I felt them conversing in the briefing room, debating and arguing over what happened not to long ago. Apparently I wasn't in captivity for long, only around an hour of hell was what I endured. I walked over to the stairs that led to the room.

"So" I said loudly as I walked down, "I think you guys may want to hear what it is I have to say."

Everyone looked towards the entrance and watched as I walked into the room, unscathed.

"Kevin?!" Rose cried as she saw me alive and well. She ran over to me and hugged me tightly, relieved that I was still breathing.

Fox was even shocked, "What the hell happened to you?" he and Jess were standing next to each other at the front of the room. They were the two arguing, I had sensed it was due to Penny being captured and possibly killed, and the team not doing anything about it and simply letting them take her.

I released Rose slightly, looking straight at Fox and then over to Jess, "I know where they took Penny."

Jess was instant to speak, "We have to go! We need to stop these fuckers now! What if they are going to traffic her or something!?"

Fox grabbed his shoulder and yelled, "Enough!" he then looked over at me, "How do you know where they're going?"

I shook my head, "As I was escaping, I had sensed that the leader of the small group hiding in the asteroids, and yes, there were more ships hiding, was taking taking her to Aquas. That's all I was able to get, but I think it's enough for us to forge a counter attack and get Penny back."

Falco tilted his head, "Huh, trafficking, the gangs in Lylat are starting to become ballsy."

"You mean they hadn't done so before?" Jordan asked.

Falco shrugged, "At least not when I was affiliated with any gang. I never heard of trafficking going on in Lylat. I guess they like takin risks now."

Fox nodded repeatedly, "Okay, we'll think of something to do, but we can't just go in guns blazing."

"BUT WE HAVE TO SA-" Jess yelled before being silence by Fox's fist.

My eyes grew wide at the sudden action taken by Fox. I didn't really expect him to do such a thing, then again I felt that he was pretty fired up with Jess. Honestly, who could blame him? Jess was was Penny's brother, and he swore to protect her during their service on the CDF, and now on Star Fox. While I didn't condone what Fox just did, I also didn't want Jess pestering us with pointless arguing and bickering, so I just let it happen and didn't say a word.

Fox was pretty mad now, "I am not going to let Penny die like this!" he said furiously, "It's bad enough that she was captured, it's even worse that you are here arguing and not getting anywhere with it. We will save her, damn it, just not right now. If we go in without any sense of direction we'll risk even more of us getting captured or worse!"

I could still feel Austin within my mind. He was keeping a close eye on me, making sure I didn't reveal anything. Surprising, his cautiousness didn't spike after I told them about Aquas, instead he let it go due to it being a much more believeable plan. It didn't really matter to me if he got scared over the fact that Star Fox knew of him being alive and his plan with me, but I did care for my life, and I wasn't going to be selfish and forget about the other life that is at stake.

Several hours later, Solar had set over the horizon. I was sitting in my room, thinking over my past and how I got to this horrible situation. As I was doing this, I felt something different in my mind, two different presence within my head at the same time.

"shit" I said softly as I realized that Krystal was trying to look into my mind. Instantly, I blocked her out and clouded my mind, keeping her away from where Austin would be detected. It wasn't time to reveal what is happening, not yet. Just a little longer and I would be able to.

Over the course of the day, I payed close attention to Austin and his grip on my mind. One major flaw I noticed with it was that he could lose it easily. He had great strength with it, but he didn't have all powerful control. Knowing how telepathy can wander around when one is asleep, I devised the plan to reveal everything when Austin sleeps and loses complete grip of my mind.

"Hold on Krystal" I said to myself as I forced her out of my head.

As I did so, keeping Austin unaware of her intrusion, he loosened his grip. I sensed his own brain activity drop slightly, his emotions that were coming through to me were dim and tired. He was sleeping, but he wasn't in deep sleep.

I smiled, "Dumbass" I spoke softly, "doesn't even know his own weakness" I was glad and filled with joy. For once, I actually saw hope in the situation.

Suddenly, Austin's grip ceased. He was no longer chained to my mind and I was free from his control. Instantly, I shot up to my feet and ran out of my room and over to Krystal's room.

I slammed on the door, "Krystal open up!"

I felt her sudden spike in emotion as I left my room and she opened it just as I finished my sentence.

"Kevin…" she said as I brushed passed her.

"Listen" I said abruptly, "I don't have much time, but you need to know this."

She shook her head, "Kevin what's wrong?"

I felt the control slowly returning to my mind. Austin's mind was wandering back to mine, so I had very little time.

"Penny is alive, she is fine but she is being held hostage by Austin! I don't have any time to explain. He is using me as we speak, he has his mind chained to mine and using my skills and connections with you all so that I can lure you into traps to capture or kill each and every one of you. The grip he has on my mind is deadly and I cannot fight it, but I can suppress it slightly. Whatever you do, do not go into my mind and do not search my mind. If Austin catches wind of any of what I just said then he will kill Penny and disappear from Lylat for sure; we cannot let him leave or live any longer."

Krystal simply nodded with her eyes wide and her hands covering her mouth.

"Please, forgive me, but I can't do anything about it. Just go along with what I say and we can end up beating and killing Austin. Go to the traps with full awareness of what is to come. It's the only way we're going to win and save Penny."

She nodded again.

The grip returned to my mind as Austin wandered back. It wasn't as if he was awake or anything, it was just a weak grip because of his mind aimlessly moving around.

"So" I said, changing the subject instantly, hoping Krystal would get the idea of what was happening, "You mind telling me what it was that Jess and Fox were fighting about exactly?"

Krystal looked at me with a confused look, to which I shot back a slight wink with a face of worry.

She nodded, "Yeah, Jess was just upset that we didn't stop them from taking Penny and you. Thankfully you're safe, but Penny can still be out there."

I nodded back, "I understand what he is feeling." I said, trying to keep my mind away from the information I had revealed to Krystal. Just the slightest thought would catch Austin's attention and ruin the entire plan. "After all" I continued, "if you lost someone you loved, and had the strongest feeling that you could in fact save them, then you would jump for the opportunity to do so."

Krystal simply nodded with her head lowered.

"When I learned that my mother was killed, I couldn't do anything, yet I wanted something to happen. Deep down I wished dearly for something." I continued.

"What was that?" Krystal asked.

I took a deep breath in, my breath shaking from the thought of my mother being gone, "I wanted what was said to me to be untrue. I wanted to hear back from them, telling me that my mother was safe and sound, living life like she used to. But…" I wiped my face from my tears, "...some things can't be done, and some things happen for a reason."

The day I heard that my mother had passed tore me apart. I felt like my heart had simply disappeared from my body and that my life was completely meaningless now. I had zero family left, she was all that I had remaining- now she was gone and I was alone, all alone in my life. But, Krystal and the other's helped me recuperate and getting me back to my old self. Because of this, because of the trust I had in them, I had to inform them about this one way or another- I wouldn't dare turn against my own friends.

Austin's grip weakened once more, leaving my mind and wandering off elsewhere.

"If you have a question about what's happening, ask it now." I said, looking at Krystal. Her face was still lowered as she pondered her own memories of Cerinia, the beautiful home world of this lovely vixen.

She simply raised her head, "How are we going to tell Fox and the others?"

I sighed, "Well, I can confine Austin to my mind and only my mind. I haven't tried it, but later on, I will see if it is doable. If I can infact do this, then you can freely tell the others about what I said, but they cannot say anything to me."

Yet another plan was coming into my own. I didn't think I would be able to expand it this much since Austin had so much power and was beyond deadly. Regardless, I was taking full advantage of what it was I could get away with.

She nodded, "I understand. Let me help you." she sat down next to me, "I can teach you to control your telepathy much more. I get that you have had yours for some time and are used to it, but there are secrets you have yet to unlock and potential in your own power that you have yet to meet."

I sighed once more, "Austin would likely find suspicion in it. But, I don't think we have much of a choice."

She shook her head, "I can pass down some teaching that my own father gave me to control my telepathy. He was a powerful Cerinian and had great influence, being the sole being with absolute control over his power, he passed them down to me, but I was unable to meet the expectations of handling such power. I couldn't handle it, and to this day I have yet to find the strength to do so. I am going to teach you this, whether Austin likes it or not."

I smiled slightly, finding comfort in the determination of Krystal and her intention to save me from Austin, "Thank you"

I wrapped my arms around her and smiled even more, "Austin isn't going to get away. He's going to die, one way or another."

Feeling the slight grip of his mind, I tapped on Krystal's shoulder, releasing her and getting up from her bed. I scratched the back of my head and looked back at her, "I assume that we'll start tomorrow? After we return from Aquas?"

Krystal nodded once, "Yes" she gave the simplest of answers to my question, and I was off to my room, feeling Austin slowly return to my mind, but drift off repeatedly.

Austin was a strange being. He was ruthless, menacing, powerful, and yet comfortable with everything. His attitude towards what he does and the possible outcomes of his actions are unlike anyone I have seen. The ego that he boasts is extreme and the self confidence that is based solely on his ability to fight and his intense telepathy were his downfall, in my eyes. I had already defeated him once, fighting his weak telepathy. Now I had to train my own to best him at his new game, a dangerous and risky game.

One way or another, Austin was going to die.

_To Be Continued…_

Right, so the plot is starting to mold into something different. Before I had Kevin going full on bad guy, having no control over anything, but now it's a bit more subtle as writers block keeps placing impossible scenarios in my face.

So, I ask you, please leave a review and tell me what you think of the story so far. Do you like the plot? If you have suggestions, tell me! If there are some things I need to improve upon, tell me! I can only get better with feedback.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope that this book will serve to be a great reading piece for every one of you.

Until next time...


	6. The Trap? Pt 1

_So, this chapter, like I said in my update on my profile, is going to be awesome. I said to keep an eye out mainly because there is a surprise. So let's not keep you waiting_

_On with the story…_

**The Trap? Pt. 1**

Today was the day. Fox had gone over the plan with us multiple times, most of them without me in the room. This was because Krystal had successfully informed them all of the danger waiting for us at Aquas, how Austin was in control and had full access to my mind. To my surprise, Fox found absolutely zero danger in me- he had lost no trust in me and had faith in me, even commenting on the fact that I could be used to beat Austin.

But, since the day began, I had noticed nothing within my head. Austin was not chained to me and my mind was free to think and come out of hiding. Why this was I had no idea, perhaps something had happen to Austin causing him to focus his attention away from me and towards whatever it was distracting him. Whatever it was, we were taking this chance to ambush and possibly even kill him right now, without him even knowing.

I was standing on the Great Fox's bridge with Fox and the others. Tailing Great Fox was Great Fox II, another Dreadnaught class ship created solely to house the new members of the team during missions. Though it had a completely different design- a long design with two rows acting as the main hangers- it was almost near the strength and power of the Great Fox. Oddly enough, I had a strange feeling, like I had seen it before, but I disregarded the feeling altogether.

The blue planet was approaching quickly. I had tried reaching out, looking for Austin either out in orbit or on the surface. Krystal even assisted in this attempt, only to find that he was nowhere to be found, not in space, not on the surface, and not even in this sector of Lylat.

"This is odd" I said as I opened my eyes, "Neither can I find Austin nor is he chained to my mind. It's like he just disappeared altogether."

Krystal added on, "This is strange indeed, I can't find him either."

I shook my head in confusion, "This isn't good."

Falco quickly chimed in, "To be fair, none of this is good." He always had some sort of joke or some sort of remark that had to be made. Just like

Fox raised his hand to his chin, pondering the odd situation, "Kevin" he said, "Are you sure that Austin told you to come to Aquas?"

I shrugged, "I don't know how I could hear otherwise. Honestly I'm just as confused as you are."

"Diego" Fox said over the comms, contacting Great Fox II's captain, Diego Armstrong, "This is Fox, do you copy?"

Diego, a pantherine with dark purple fur, appeared on the forward holo screen, "Loud and clear boss." he had a strong cariocan accent and was always on point, ready for any orders and taking his job rather seriously, but with a twist of his bronx attitude.

Fox made a gesture in mid air, causing a holo screen to appear in front of him. He pulled up a feed of the radar, "Is Great Fox II detecting anything odd on the scanners or radar? Something's definitely up, but we're kind of in the dark right now."

Diego looked over at the radar holo screens and shook his head, "Nothin boss, doesn't look like there's anything here."

I spoke up as I finally found something living on the surface of the planet, it wasn't a native animal, but it was a being that I had recognized. I couldn't make out who it was exactly, but I could tell that I had indeed sensed this before.

"Hold on" I said as I noticed the presence, "Something is on the surface, it's not an indigenous animal."

Fox looked over, "Is it Austin?"

I shook my head, "Possibly, but it's hard to tell. Something it clouding it, keeping me away- but I know it's there."

Krystal smiled, "If that's the case then it's definitely Austin."

A deep sigh came from my mouth, "Why is it that I have the worst feeling about this?"

I wasn't wrong to feel this way. Austin had disappeared from my head and I wasn't able to find any traces of him anywhere, even with the minor training to unlock even more of my telepathy.

The training Krystal had put me through was tough- for simply learning how to use more of the ability, it's surprisingly difficult and painful. She had told me that her father tried training her, only to fail due to her apparent weakness to it. However, with the situation at hand, she started to pass down the teachings to me, making me stronger with my mind and giving me more control over my telepathy. So far, I was able to strike pain in any foe I connect my mind to, similar to how Austin did so to me when he had captured me. I felt as though this was the only thing I would need to kill the deranged Cerinian, but deep down I knew it would take a little more than just that.

"Alright" Fox said, "I think Delta Fox should head down and scout out the area. Since our plan is useless here, we'll have to wing it." he continued over the comms, "Delta Fox, gear up and ready the transport."

I stepped up, "I'm going with them. They'll need someone down there to sniff out whatever is hiding down there. Plus, I can provide some killer sniper support."

Fox looked over, "Are you sure Kevin? What if it is Austin down there and he ends up killing you?"

I smiled slightly, "I'm worried about dying unless I don't fight before it happens." I then raised my arm up to my side, activating the holo communicator and walking out of the bridge, "Delta Fox, meet me on the surface, I'm heading down now to get a quick scope and secure you all a landing zone."

Jayce Hope, the leader of the squad, replied, "Copy that boss, we're gearing up as we speak"

I nodded, "Good. If I were you, I'd pack a good amount of ammo capsules. Who knows what's down there waiting."

"Copy that boss" Jayce said before ending the comm line.

As I exited the elevator and into the landing bay, I threw my fist down and slammed the ground, activating my armor. The black exoskeleton suit instantly teleported onto me and began to sync to my body. Since it was an exoskeleton, it had to do so each time so that it could adapt to the strength I have when it is active.

I cracked my neck and walked into the armory. It was added into the ship after Star Fox grew into a unit. The small room had three rows with shelves in between. Each shelve had D-9 blaster pistols, D-10 Auto-Rifles, and EL-8 Gatling Guns. However on the back wall were some special weapons. On the wall were four guns that were used specifically by us. My weapon was specially created by Space Dynamics and was tailored towards my skill of using one of its kind. I had nicknamed it Ripper, thought it was really a heavily upgraded XSD-1 sniper rifle, one with a state of the art digital scope, a greatly extended magazine, a barrel that silences the discharging plasma, and even a G-Diffuser to make the shots pinpoint accurate.

I loved going out to the range and firing the gun, though not a single job had come up where I could really utilize the power it had, until now. I grabbed the weapon and slung it onto my back where it magnetized to it. I reached down to a small drawer and grabbed five more energy cells for the behemoth sniper rifle and placed them in my leg holster. I then walked over to the shelves and grabbed a D-9 pistol, loading it with a cell and lowering it to my right leg holster. The holster extended out from my leg and I placed it within, ready for the mission at hand.

I walked out of the armory, only to find Krystal waiting over by her Arwing, wearing her flight suit and holding a D-9 pistol to her side.

"Uh, Krystal?" I asked, "What are you doing?"

She smiled, "I'm coming along with you. Austin is too powerful for you to handle. If both of us are there, then we can probably cripple him enough so that Delta Fox can fight or even kill him."

I sighed and lowered my head. I knew it was a bad idea to let her come along, especially since Austin was far more powerful than both of us combined. Truly he was, Austin was damn near a god with his power of telepathy, but I couldn't risk all of Delta Fox and I getting killed, but at the same time I didn't want Krystal in harms way, especially when that harm is Austin.

That memory plays back through my head every once in a while. The day Austin and I first met, nearly dying and nearly losing a friend. That friend was standing right before me, and she was willing to go back out there and risking her life to fight the same person that had grown even more powerful than the first time. That idea made my stomach ache and my head spin, the thought of her actually dying, the thought of my closest friend being killed was not something I wanted to endure.

I shook my head slowly, quickly turning it into a vigorous shake, "No, no, absolutely not. You're insane if you think you're going down there with us. Do you not remember what happened last time, Krys? Do you not remember the pain you had endured from that bat shit insane Cerinian? I am not going to let you go back out and face him when he is even more powerful than before."

"Kevin.." She said with her mouth open.

I quickly stopped her, "Please…" I said softly, "... Austin is too strong…" I shook my head once, "I don't want you to die Krystal. He almost did it once… and if you died… then… I don't know what I'd do. I could never forgive myself for letting it happen at the hands of a madman. You are my closest friend, and I don't want to lose you, and neither does anyone else on this team." I paused, "Please… just go back to the bridge and monitor the situation from there."

Krystal lowered her head. She thought hard about the decision and I could tell that she was seriously considering the danger in the mission.

"Alright…" she said ever so softly, "... just promise me one thing"

I smiled slightly. The thought of Krystal taking the safer route made me happy. She was indeed my closest friend and even a mother figure to me. I always felt like she was the woman that filled the hole in my life where my mother had filled. Krystal has been nice, she has helped me in my times of need, and she has always been there for everyone, not only me.

"Come back alive" She said before tackling me and squeezing me tightly.

I wrapped my arms around her as well, "I'll be fine…"

I let Krystal go and looked at my Arwing. I took a deep breath and readied myself. Using the added strength of the exo armor, I jumped onto the wing and took a seat in the cockpit. The engines of the Arwing started to whirl to life and spew their plasma energy. I looked ahead, out into the open space and took another deep breath praying that the mission go as planned and that no one be harmed.

The Arwing shot out of the hangar and into space. The wings expanded instantly and the ship was in my control. I veered towards the large blue planet and headed right for the marked area on the smart canopy, the mark was located over an island that was literally in the middle of the ocean. It was small and had no other islands around it, it was lonely and looked like the perfect place for anyone to hideout on.

I smiled slightly, "I'm not going to let you live this time you son of a bitch."

_**To Be Continued…**_

Oh my, what do we have here? Looks like Kevin is in for a little surprise next chapter ;). I've got a really nice surprise cooking in the next chapter, so be ready for it.

So, tell me what you thought. I have been able to devote more time to my writing recently since my class schedule has cleared up nicely. Early classes that get out around noon and no classes on Fridays.

Please, leave me a review and tell me if you liked it, if I need to improve on something, if I need to add something. Hell, I'll even take some suggestions that I may try to work into the book. Really, I appreciate and LOVE hearing from you all.

And so…

Until Next Time…


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